A man has been jailed for life after stabbing his girlfriend to death when she was about to leave him.

Alin Gabriel Apopei, 27, of Eversleigh Road, East Ham, was found guilty of murder at the Old Bailey on Tuesday, February 21.

He was sentenced to life imprisonment today (Wednesday, February 22) and will serve a minimum of 20 years.

His victim, Denisa Silmen, 25, was found severely mutilated by officers after the attack.

Police were called to at the couple’s home in Eversleigh Road at 8.12pm, on Thursday, 30 July 2016, to respond to reports of a seriously injured woman.

Officers and London Ambulance Service attended the scene and found Denisa suffering a number of serious injuries.

East London and West Essex Guardian Series:

Denisa Silmen was killed by Apopei as she tried to leave him

She was pronounced dead at the scene at less than 10 minutes after emergency services arrived.

There was a suitcase on the bed seemingly having been packed. There was a black purse on the floor next to her body.

The pathologist gave the cause of death as multiple incised wounds to the neck and chest.

An investigation was launched by the Homicide and Major Crime Command (HMCC) and Apopei was arrested on Friday, July 31 and subsequently charged.

The court heard the pair - who lived at the same address - were in a volatile relationship and friends had witnessed that Apopei had threatened his girlfriend on number occasions if she left him.